VIDEO: SWAT Team Evicts Grandmother

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Van Jones and Marianne Manilov write, "Day after day, the media and government ignore an ongoing national tragedy: a tsunami of foreclosures is still sweeping millions of Americans out of their homes. As many as three million American families this year will hear a terrifying knock on the door: a law enforcement officer will tell them to get out, because a bank won't work out a fair deal and allow them to stay. But one remarkable grandmother this month refused to go quietly."

Rochester police came with a SWAT team and an estimated 25 police cars to carry out the eviction of one family. (image: MichaelMoore.com)

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+58 # Archie1954 2011-04-02 09:12

I am sick to death of hearing about this Bank of America egregious activity. Isn't there any way to commence public sanctions against them, such as withdrawing all your savings or moving your banking business elsewhere? A bank like that does not deserve to get people's business. They really are an abomination.

+20 # Julia Deak 2011-04-02 13:09

@bankofamerica are crooks! We all need to vote with our dollars and refuse to support them. You are much better off at a credit union or small, local bank. Please see http://moveyourmoneyproject.org/. You can have an even greater impact by joining a US Uncut event and closing your accounts in a big group. The time to sit idly by is over!

+14 # antineocon 2011-04-02 19:06

Some time back I closed my account in Tampa Florda becaause the CEO got a huge bonus while getting tax dollars for a bailout for a failed business. now they are taking it out on us little guys. lets get tough boycott Bank of America. It is not deserving of the name AMERICA.

+39 # Doctoretty 2011-04-02 09:17

Bank of America is notorious for its abuses! We should boycott this institution!

+37 # DaveM 2011-04-02 09:25

Is it a police state yet?

+1 # Capn Canard 2011-04-03 10:50

DaveM, ABSOPHUCQINGLUT ELY!!! and it has been for 30 years.

0 # Dakotahgeo 2011-04-03 19:53

Quoting DaveM:

Is it a police state yet?

Alonnnng time ago, Sweetheart... a lonnng time ago.

+40 # in deo veritas 2011-04-02 09:40

What a damned disgrace! When will people wake up and realize that the federal government doesn't give a rat's derriere about any of us. Why should the people care about it? What are our tax dollars going for? This sort of a police state? Sooner or later the public will do what needs to be done and the greedy bastards on Wall Street will bear the brunt of the blame. Can 2012 come soon enough? Or will we see more stupidy from the teabaggers? Enough to make the founding fathers wonder why they even bothered.

+21 # Julia Deak 2011-04-02 13:12

What has happened is that corporations have taken control of our government. Electing someone new in 2012 won't solve the problem. We need to limit corporations' size and power to muck around in our democracy! Stop shopping or doing business with big box stores and banks, and join the movement to limit corporate power: see http://www.freespeechforpeople.org/
You are not alone - we (THE PEOPLE) are all in this together.

+30 # in deo veritas 2011-04-02 09:44

Unfortunately the government is full of worthless shysters too. How many members of Congress are not independently wealthy, business owners, or lawyers? How many do not have ties with Wall Street or people lobbying for foreign interests? Maybe a handful.

+1 # Auntie EM 2011-04-03 21:51

Joe Biden was the only non-millionaire in the Senate before he became VP - now there are NO non-millionaire s in the Senate. Whose interests do you think our Senate protects?

+43 # steven waldrip 2011-04-02 09:59

yes, granny's are easy pickings for swat teams...I wonder when we'll see them go after G.E. and other big companies who do not pay their taxes?

+25 # muffy7 2011-04-02 10:09

This makes me ashamed to be an American. I got out of BAC many years ago, it is the most corrupt institution in the USA.

+30 # MidwestTom 2011-04-02 10:21

I would rather they go after the Bankers who got us into this mess. We pay our taxes so the government can bail them out, so they can continue making millions per year. We should have let them all go b ankrupt.

0 # Auntie EM 2011-04-03 21:52

Yes, we should have. I wrote to my elected representatives when the bailout was being considered and told them so. I got nice letters back telling me why it was so important to bail them out . . . bet they wish they could change their votes now.

+25 # Virginia 2011-04-02 10:27

The banks, as well as Fannie & Freddie are insolvent. They wrote more mortgage loans than they have assets to hold. They've been allowed to run amok.

The AG Settlement should demand that the states take over their respective mortgage loans from 2003-2008, strip them from the banks and reconstruct the mortgages with the homeowners. The fraud is massive. The recordation bureaus are a mess.

+24 # Anarchist 23 2011-04-02 10:42

'America, where are you now?
Don't you care about your sons and daughters?
Don't you know we need you now
We can't fight alone against the Monsters'

Steppenwolf-Monster Album
1976

+24 # fredboy 2011-04-02 10:47

Unfortunately, this IS America.
Bureaucratic BS. Cops doing their "duty."
Disgraceful.

Didn't Obama pledge assistance to those facing such crises?

+13 # tomo 2011-04-02 11:14

From before Obama took office, it's been clear that the resolution of home mortgage problems was at the center of the economic problem as a whole. Instead of addressing that, President Obama took the easy way out, giving the banks unprecedented loans and privileges, while ignoring the plight of ordinary Americans.

This mortgage mess is to be sure an incredible miss-tied knot. It's very difficult today to know who even has title in the case of many of the properties. For our President however to just leave all this to the discretion of the banks (who have a major bad-faith history in the creation of the problem, and who have benefited substantially from it), and then for our President to go off to Afghanistan to "bring democracy" to the Afghans, and to go off now--it appears--to bring democracy to the Libyans, is a demonstration of resolute ill-will and contempt for the American people and contempt for the President's constitutional responsibilitie s that should incur his non-renominatio n next year. At the same time Americans work to restore Catherine Lennon to her house, we should work to evict President Obama from the White House. We Democrats can do better! (It is hard to imagine how we could do worse.)

+3 # Capn Canard 2011-04-03 10:57

I dunno about you but this Housing crisis is just the speculative nature of the market and how incredibly artificial and damaging it is. gawd I watched the housing prices soar and it was stupid to see all kinds of people believe in it! It is a ridiculous system that rewards those who have more by allowing capital to flow back to them with little or NO TALENT, INTELLIGENCE, or CREATIVITY. Our system doesn't reward skill, it rewards theft. And once wealth has the controls of power then there is NO JUSTICE. Such is the status quo

+2 # Capn Canard 2011-04-03 11:05

The Nazi's are now in charge.

+2 # BarbJ 2011-04-04 02:32

We could do worse by letting another George Bush type get elected. I sure don't agree with everything President Obama has done, but he is far better than some alternatives.

+11 # people2power 2011-04-02 11:21

We are the Government.
We are the Banks.
We are the Police.
We do these jobs to care for our personal self interests. We ultimately hurt ourselves, and those around us, when we act on behalf of our own narrow interests. Things will change when we decide to act in support of the interests of others. Example: If you are a policeman/woman you have the choice to not enforce an eviction. If you work at a bank you have the choice not to process a wrongful or suspect foreclosure. We all have the choice.

0 # Capn Canard 2011-04-05 13:12

your "analysis" speaks of a superficial truth that is very shallow and self interested. Authoritarian leadership acts and many people follow without question, though they may know that what they do is wrong, but if they acted on their intuition they would be jailed like Pvt. Bradley Manning! On a realistic note, if you do work at a bank and fail to choose to push forward bad loans, then you become the target and lose your job. So much for your attempt to blame the people for "choosing" badly. The people really don't have a reasonable choice. That is a fantasy.

+9 # josé wellington 2011-04-02 11:38

Banks and riches don't give a crap to poorers moanings... To stop cries, handcuffs...
No mercy, no regret, only political changes can save poors in America or even a massive civilian insurrection...

+12 # DPM 2011-04-02 11:49

I, too, left BofA years ago and have called on all I know to cancel their accounts and move them to credit unions or, at least, small local banks.

+11 # Robert Flynn 2011-04-02 12:18

If all we peons (BAC's view of us) moved our business to local/community owned banks we really could hurt the big guys. But that movement fizzled because it got NO mainstream coverage.

+2 # Hors-D-whores 2011-04-03 12:21

Let's keep sending the message everywhere we can. I moved my money from a big bank to a Credit Union when the idea was first brought up, I love the personal service and that I'm not adding to the bigness of the banksters.

MOVE YOUR MONEY AMERICA, to a small bank or Credit Union!

+11 # ritaague 2011-04-02 12:19

It wasn't an entire SWAT team that kicked me out of the Colorado Springs/El Paso County Clerk and Recorder's office, as I attempted to cast an early vote in 2006. Instead, it was a security guard, at the order of a Koch sucking G.O.P. elected official.

The cause of my being evicted? A small Grandmothers for Peace button I wore pinned to my jacket. Clerk and Recorder Balink said it might remind people there was a war going on. Not one word did he say re. the troops in uniform who voted that day nearby me. (Google: Rita Ague)

This poor grandma said no, recognizing injustice/strip ping away of rights, as I had so recognized both in '06. But, it cannot be just grandmas like us, and brave and determined folks in Wisconsin and other states who JUST SAY NO to the greed and power addicted villainaire rulers and their Koch sucking enforcers and puppets.

There must be a real McCoy national revolution (vs. Koch funded Tea Party karlroving spin, manipulation, distraction), with folks from all and no parties doing what it takes to UNDO THE COUP, all the while yelling loudly...

VILLAINAIRES, GO TO HELL!!!

+20 # jon 2011-04-02 12:24

Move your money OUT of commercial banks and start doing business with your local credit union. This should become a national movement!

+7 # fredboy 2011-04-02 17:04

Remember, Mr. Lennon died in 2008--the year BOA and other financial vampires raped the land.

The result: They got U.S.-backed bonuses, and Ms. Lennon's house...

+8 # Hector Lopez 2011-04-02 17:42

In these comments people refer to this U.S. as "America" and that is false. Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Santo Domingo, Jamaica, Peru, Puerto Rico, Central America and South America are America too. There is no nation named America, because America is a continent not a nation. Goebbels could not have done a better job with this lie. We Latin Americans are Americans too in spite of the massive brain washing contrary to this truth.

+1 # genierae 2011-04-03 08:14

You're right Hector Lopez. Ego-centrism is US.

+8 # futhark 2011-04-02 17:46

With apologies to Pastor Niemoller:

Then they came for the Muslims,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Muslim.

Then they came for the elderly,
and I didn't speak out because I...wait a minute!

+4 # propsguy 2011-04-03 12:36

the SWAT team should have refused to evict her. i get so tired of hearing "well. they were just doing their job." when doing your job involves violating your conscience it's time to get another job. is that difficult in 2011 america? it sure is so start farming instead, barter with your neighbors. the only way out of this is for communities to band/ stand together against the federal ad corporate warlords

0 # Lucy Geever 2011-04-03 19:56

This IS AMERICA.

0 # Mark Mason 2011-04-03 21:50

The problem isn't Bank of America per se. It's the fact that Bank of America is a corporation. The problem is the institution we call the corporations. B of A is only doing what all other corporations do---they focus on short-term profits and screw the people and the environment. Don't single out B of A, or even Wall Street banks. They are corporations doing what all corporations do. They're owned by the rich. They exist to funnel money out of the pockets of the poor, into the pockets of the rich few. They have no legal obligation to do anything differently.

+1 # Tired of the spin 2011-04-05 08:10

Unfortunately, most people would rather watch mindless TV "reality" shows and sports than to pay attention to what's going on right outside their door. At most, they grumble to their family, friends and co-workers, then change the subject to something politically "safer" like sports, TV, jokes, etc.

Instead, they should be organizing and taking to the streets by the tens of thousands to DEMAND an end to this treatment by our own government and DEMAND justice for those who caused or permitted it to happen to our fellow citizens. Remember, that lady is someone's family, friend and neighbor, just like you are.

Isn't it time to stand up for her rights before there's no one left to stand up for YOURS?

+1 # Shawn 2011-04-07 07:16

It's the few filthy rich against the people of the world.

The revolution is now and unless people stand up in large numbers, we will be enslaved and the few will prevail. If we do stand up in numbers 'we the people' will prevail and the system as we know it will be wiped out - with the exception of our court system which, if you do your research still recognizes the fundamental principles of law that our free common law nations were founded upon.

There are solutions, not sure if you can email me via this site to get more info though.

Great comments on here and great site.

0 # Glen 2011-04-08 07:10

Shawn, the court system is dying and the supreme court is bought and sold. I have a friend who is a decent guy who was a prosecuting attorney and now a stand-in judge. He agonizes over the changes within our government and judicial system and has lost faith in the supreme court totally. Every year citizens have less to fall back on for support of rights and protection.

In came the Patriot Act, out went the constitution.

0 # shaughn 2011-04-15 03:32

THIS IS NOT RIGHT

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